Mine Operators, MSHA Expert Criticize Proposed Roof Plan Rule Change

Pennsylvania coal mine operators and a former Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) attorney are criticizing the agency’s plan to curtail district managers’ authority to mandate roof-collapse prevention measures, with the operators raising concerns about the plan’s impacts and the attorney saying it misstates the purpose and process of roof control plans. As part of a regulatory reform package , MSHA is proposing to revise its roof control plan regulations to eliminate the provision that allows the district manager to...